Fire Extinguishers Need to be Inspected in Commercial Settings Annually
Although there are no rules for fire extinguisher inspections in residences, fire extinguishers need to be inspected in Ontario in commercial settings as stated in the Ontario Fire Code O. Reg 213/07 to follow the requirements of NFPA 10 (The Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers) In NFPA 10 you are required to have the extinguishers inspected and certified annually by a certified technician. At Acord Fire we carry out annual inspections and certifications in the Durham Region. Contact us to make an inspection appointment.
This code is an enforceable code and also specifies the specialty extinguishers for special hazards.
Who is Responsible to Ensure the Fire Safety Equipment is Inspected?
In the Ontario fire code it states that the “owner” is responsible. Most Fire inspectors interpret this to mean the owner of the business, not necessarily the owner of the building.
For example, a strip mall may have an owner of the actual building which is made up of 10 separate businesses. Each business owner would be responsible for their own extinguishers. The building owner would be responsible for the sprinkler and alarm system as it is generally one system for the entire building.
Specialty Fire Extinguishers
Depending on the commercial setting, different types of fire extinguishers are required. Below is a list of the different types of fire extinguishers and their uses. For example, a food truck would need two types of fire extinguishers, a class “B” type for the propane tank and a class “K” type for the cooking area for the fire suppression of cooking oils and fats.
On the other hand, an office building, or a classroom would need a Class “A” extinguisher as they are in a setting that would normally have ordinary combustibles such as wood and paper.
In hospital settings such as Imaging/MRI areas, it is better for the environment to use water mist extinguishers rather than dry chemical types.
CLASS ‘A’
Class A extinguishers will put out fires in ordinary combustibles such as wood and paper.
CLASS ‘B’
Class B extinguishers are for use on flammable liquids like gasoline and oil.
CLASS ‘C’
Class C extinguishers are suitable for use only on electrically energized fires
CLASS ‘K’
Class K extinguishers are designed for use on cooking oils and fats in a commercial kitchen.
CLASS ‘D’
Class D extinguishers are designed for use on flammable metals.
For all the different types and locations of fire extinguishers for commercial settings in Ontario, check out this Ontario Government Fire Protection Standards document
At Acord Fire, we carry a full range of fire extinguishers in all the different classifications and would be happy to discuss with you how often do fire extinguishers need to be inspected in Ontario in commercial settings and whether you have the correct classification of fire extinguishers in your commercial building. Contact us or call us at 905-852-6847.